Log arch hook



F. M. BRAWAND LOG ARCH HOOK Jan. 9, 1951 2 Shee'cs--Sheetl l Filed Sept. 24, 1948 NVENTOR. fran/hf? M. /aa/cma/ F. M. BRAWAND LOG ARCH HOOK Jan. 9, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1948 Z7 ,g E?

. INVENTOR. fram/Hm M. Bra/wana Patented Jan. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES oFFlcE The present invention comprises a device for attaching a plurality of load cables to a traction cable. The device is primarily concerned with the attachment of logs to a transporting device known as a log arch which has come into increasing use in modern selective logging, but may be of utility in attaching the four corners of a cargo sling to a traction cable passing over a derrick boom, or in other similar or related equipment.

The principal eld of utility at the present time appears to be in the logging industry. As time goes on, the stands of virgin timber are being reduced at a rate such that none will be in existence in this country within a relatively short period of time. The Various governmental agencies, in cooperation with private owners of timber land, have instituted conservation measures including selective logging whereby mature trees are removed from stands of timber of mixed ages in order that a continuous supply of marketable timber may be grown on a given tract of land. l In order that the younger trees may be lettv standing to produce later crops from such timber farms, care must be exercised in re-e moving the logs from'the tract of land. Under"" previousv methods of logging a great deal of the youngv standing timber was knocked down or otherwise destroyed, with the result that the log arch has come into prominence. The log archvza0 comprises a device including a frame mounted upon a Apair of wheels or track treads and which may be towed behind a tractor which may be equipped with a bulldozer blade at its forward Aof the logs above the ground between the wheels of the log arch, whereupon the tractor operator may proceed through the trees, making his own road as he proceeds if it is necessary to do so.

tween standing trees or build a road over or around other obstructions encountered in the rough terrain sometimes found in timber lands, he must at times drop the forward ends of the logs and permit the traction cable to pay outlogs, taking up the slack of the traction cable as he does so, or may have to remain in position and snake the logs up to the stationary log arch. Regardless of the maneuvers required, it is apparent that the load cables are continuously being placed under and released from tension. Usually choker plugs are attached to the forward ends of such cables for attachment to butt hooks or other devices depending from the traction cable, and these are quite often separated with the result that valuable time is wasted in re-attaching the logs to the traction cable. Sometimes it is impossible for the tractor operator to re-attach a log to the traction cable, with the result that he has to abandon a log or find a crew of men who may be able to drop their regular duties temporarily while they re-assemble the load with the log arch. Also, in returning into the woods for a new load, choker cables are quite often displaced and lost among the underbrush and litter usually encountered in land which is being logged.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of a log arch hook from which choker cables cannot become displaced at any time or under any condition unless the several parts thereof are intelligently manipulated into relative positions which cannot be achieved while the device is in use.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred from of the invention is illustrated and in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a representation of a log arch in use for transporting a plurality of logs;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through 0.the rear tip of the guide or hawse hole on one In order that he may round'sharp corners beik4:5

through the hawse hole as the tractor, with the v .lead he :nay-back the arch over the ends of the form of log arch and showing the .present invention in use therewith;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the present invention showing choker cables associated therewith in dash outline;

Fig. 4 is a bottom View of the present invention; Fig.` 5 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

l Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 'l is a vertical section taken substantially along line 'l-'l of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 8--8 of Fig. 3.

The present invention is illustrated in usage assza 3 in Fig. 1 in connection with a tractor I0 having a log arch II attached thereto. The log arch comprises a tow bar I2 which is adapted to be pivotally attached to the drawbar of the tractor and to which is connected an A-frame I3 supporting the rear end of a guide or hawse I4, the front end of the guide being supported upon a riser I5 connected to the front end of the tow bar. The feet of the A-frame are connected to endless t'rack devices I6. A traction cable I1 extends from a winch (not shown) mounted on the tractor through the hawse I4 and is detachably secured to a device I8 of the presentinvention. A plurality of load cables I9 are detachably secured to the device I8 and about the forward ends of a plurality of logs 28 whieh are being dragged over the terrain by the log arch. If the traction cable is unwound from ythe winch the logs will be lowered to rest upon the ground and may be left in such position while the tractor logv arch are being maneuvered about by the operator; He may return to a position -closely adjacent the ends fof the logs when he `rhas1re-aligned the assembly, taking lup the slack of -o'able I'I as he does so until the forward ends ofthe logs are raised practically vertically, or lie'may drag the logs over the ground by remaining in 'a forward position and taking up the traotion Ycable `on the winch. The load cables I9L` are-preferably iny the form known as choker cables, since such eables have come to be widely adopted and used throughout the logging induseholliei veable comprises a woven wire are han@ almere ,plus rigidly seared "oaxiallyat one end, and means `at its other end for securing thekcable about allog. Similarly, the end of the traction cable I'l is preferably supplied with a choker-plug, although the present invention may `be utilized as a 'permanent kattachr'ent to a traction cable, or portions of 4the present invention may be incorporated ra devicehaving other means for detachably securing` 'a4 traction cable thereto.

In the preferred form of the present invention the device I8 comprises a plurality of substan- -ialry'prala 'rssbas linked meer ai their 'adjaeentjendsfas by means of rings or chain links. The'frst or upper crossbar 25 lcomprises attraction crossbar't'o whichthe traction cable il? is attached, preferably by means' of a Ichoker 'pliigt'ted Ainto a choker plug socket2'6. The `first ero'ssb'ar 25 is preferably in the shape r'of an fisoseelesytri'ing-le the traction Ycable I'I 'ex- 'tendingfrom the apex thereof inline with the axis of symmetry of theA triangle. Preferablyth'e forward surfaces and thef'outer corners of the triangle are vrounded"so that the crossbar may be guided into the `mouth of the hawse I4. 'lhe choker plugY socket 2S extends inwardly from the 'base'surf'ace of the 'crossbar and has its vbottom 'positioned v'adjacent the apex thereof with the socket concentrically surrounding the airis of symmetry. lh orderrthat'aehoker plug may be detaehably secured thereto, the member providedwith a transverse bore 2T extending liu first and second crossbars.

serted from front to rear through the bore 21 until it is entirely beyond the rear surface. The cable I'I may now be moved through slot 28, thereby causing the portion thereof adjacent the choker plug to swing through slot 29 until the choker plug is in line with and beyond the mouth of the socket 26. Lengthwise movement of the cable II will now draw the choker plug thereon into the. socket 25 to the position indicated in dotted Voutline-in Fig. `3. It is to be noted that the choker plug is substantially as long as the socket 26 and is longer than the distance between the adjacent surfaces of the Therefore, slackening of the cable I1 may permit some endwise vinoinieht ofthe choker plug from the socket, but such movement will be arrested by the adjacent surface of the next crossbar or by the upper ends of choker plugs mounted thereon so that displacement from the socket is impossible. or insertion thereof into the socket is impossible', unless the rst crossbar is manipulated relative to the next crossbar to assumea position at right angles thereto. When the device is in usey thev crossbars all lie in substantially the same plane, as' seen in Fig. 5, or the device may assume a curved position, as seen in Fig. 2, in whioh eachcro'ssbar lies at less than 91) 'degrees to its neighbor so that the choker plugs are locked in position while in use.

-In thel preferred form of the device an upper load crossbar 30 is linked to the traction `cross"- bar by a pair of rings 3|', one at eachv side, `cionn'eotin'g the base eorners of the erossbar 25 to the upper corners of the crossbar 3U. Each crossbar comprises a relatively thick body portion and relatively thin end having v"eyes therein for the reception ref the linking members. The linking 'members preferably comprise the rings 3l and' er'oss pieces 3'2""s`o that the members are `ehai link members of the type usually identified as aehorchain li'k's. 'The cross pieces 32 are'dis'posed betweenthe adjacent corners of the crossbar's so as to yact 'as separators holding the 'rossbar's from interference with -e'a'oh other, yet

`permitting their bei'hg'shifted from the common plane which the rossbais will as'surn'eI When the deviee is resting on "a flat surface. The crossbar 38 is preferably provided with a pair of choker plug sockets"33, `evenly 'spaced at each side 'of the prolongation bf the a'Xi's of Symmetry of the' cloSSbarMZB, so that a `pair' of load Cables I9 will exert 4arfe'ven pull upon the device. 'The choker plug sockets 33 vopen toward the base surface of the irst ncrossbar' 25 'and 'cable slots 34 ekted therinto through the front `Wall of the rossbar 3,0 and uthe bottoms of the Sockets to points beyond the 'aXes of the 'soekets Choker plugs maybe inserted when the/crossbar 30 is "shifted relative to the crossbar 25 'to aV position at rightV angles theretmwhereup'on the 'cables I9 may be dropped through the slots 34 and the v(':hk'er plugs vdra'vvli lengthwise A'into 'their Sockets.

In the 'preferred fo'rmofv the device a lower load crossbar 4'0 is provided, the same having a thickened body portion 1in which 'a pair of symrnetrically disposed choker plu'g'sockets 4I open toward the surfaoa'djaeit `the crossbar 30 and are intersected by' cable slots 42 extending through the fronti-face' and partially through the bottom ysurfaees of the sockets. The crossbare comprises the thickened body portion Ain -'v vljiioh the sockets 4I are located and relatively thin endfins having eyes for reception of a second pair vof linking 'rrreinbe'sf 43,'pre'feiably oompris'ing anchor chain links including crosspieces 44. The chain links 3l and d3 are preferably identical so as to reduce the number'of different lparts to a minimum, and are arranged in alignment with each other at each side and extend in planes normal to the longitudinal axes of ythe crossbars. The links may be elongated or round, as desired, but a desirable feature herein illustrated is in having the vertical dimensions thereof such .that the upper and lower surfacesof -th'eandes wherein-it -is seen that the front surface 5i] of the crossbar dil tapers from its lower edge to the upper edge along the mouths of the sockets d l. rlherefore, when four choker plug load cables y are mounted in the device, the upper pair will be `free to slide laterally across the lower crossbar 40, there being no sharp corners to catch and tear the strands of the upper pair'of cables. This is important since the logs shift and roll relative to one another as they encounter obstacles and are dragged about sharp turns.

A feature of relative importance is that the crossbars are all of substantially equal length, and the chain links are. arranged to follow one another. However, as various strains are placed thereon, one crossbar may shift laterally with respect to another. Therefore, the outer corners of the end iins of each crossbar are preferably rounded so as to eliminate any obstruction which would tend to prevent entry of the device-into an opening such as the hawse hole in the hawse I4 of a log arch.

While I have herein illustrated the device as comprising means for attaching four cables, it is to be appreciated that the invention may achieve utility in other forms. For example, there may be only one Clicker plug socket in each of a greater number of orossbars, or there may be more than two choker plug sockets in each of a pair of load-attaching crossbars. The device as illustrated is sufficient for most purposes since there are four corners to a loading sling, since usually not more than four cables, or two cables having plugs at each end, are required for lifting any large load, and since four logs usually represent a maximum load for a log arch. For example, in Douglas nr country four logs forty feet long may represent a load of twenty to forty tons. In the event that smaller logs are being handled a single choker cable may be wrapped around several such logs, and in the event that larger logs (some trees being as much as twelve feet in diameter) are encountered it is impractical to handle more than one or two such logs at once. It is therefore believed that a device of this character having four load cable. attaching sockets in two load crossbars will satisfy all demands.

It is to be remarked that the device of the present invention replaces a plurality of small butt hooks or other types of hooks at present employed in log arch operations. A plurality of such devices are awkward to handle and often become jammed with each othel` in the hawse hole or cannot be dragged into the hawse hole and thus prevent lifting the log ends to the extent required 6, teclear some obstruction: 'l'ne devicev as herein illustrated may be made in aplurality of diifer.- ent sizes, the largest of which 'for association therewith of the largest sizes of load cables and load cable choker plugs presently employed in the logging industry, still being of such size as to be easily handled by the ordinary workman, such a device as presently designed weighing approxivmately thirty-five pounds.

Having illustrated andv described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will b e apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modiiication in arrangement and detail.

I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1 An article of the class described comprising a plurality of parallel crossbars, each of said crossbars having; at least one socket therein opening toward an adjacent crossbar and a slot extending through the side wall and part of the bottom of the socket, and a plurality of chain 'links each'connecting a corner of one crossbar to the adjacent corner of the next crossbar, said chain links lying in planes normal to said crossbars and projecting beyond the front and rear surfaces thereof whereby said crossbars are maintained above a supporting surface by the outer peripheries of said chain links.

2. An article of the class described comprising a rst crossbar substantially in the shape of an isosceles triangle and having a choker plug socket therein for detachably securing thereto a traction cable, said socket lying along the axis of symmetry of the crossbar and opening toward the base thereof so that the traction cable extends through the apex thereof, and a plurality of other crossbars linked in parallel with said first crossbar, each of said other crossbars having a plurality of choker plug sockets therein for detachably securing thereto a plurality of load cables extending therefrom in the direction opposite to the direction of said traction cable.

3. An article of the class described comprising a first crossbar having substantially the shape of an isosceles triangle and having a choker plug socket therein extending from its base toward the apex thereof, an intermediate crossbar having at least one choker plug socket therein extending inwardly from the surface adjacent said first crossbar, a pair of rings linking the ends of said intermediate crossbar to the base ends of said first crossbar, a terminal crossbar having at least one choker plug socket therein extending inwardly from the surface adjacent said intermediate crossbar, and a second pair of rings linking the ends of said intermediate and terminal crossbars.

4. An article of the class described comprising a first crossbar having substantially the shape of an isosceles triangle and having means for attaching thereto a traction cable extending from the apex thereof inline with its axis of symmetry, an intermediate crossbar lying parallel to the base of said first crossbar and having a pair of choker plug sockets thereinextending inwardly from the surface adjacent said base, one at each side of the prolongation of the axis of Symmetry of said rst crossbar, a pair of chain link members linking the base corners of said first crossbar to the adjacent corners of said intermediate crossbar, a terminal crossbar lying parallel to said base and having a pair of choker plug sockets :therein 'er'tenclimainwardlyi.norrrztheSurfaeezari jacent said intermediate crossbar, onerateach side ofthe prolongation of sai'ctaxis'o'f symmetry, .and secondU pair of cnain link members-linking the adjacent cornersfo'f said intermediate :and

terminal crossbars.

'normal to 'the llongitudinal iaxesxfo'f."said Icrossbars.

7,; The construction setforth in'fclaimfsi wherein said crossbars `compriserelatively thick body portions in which ysaid sockets are disposed and relatively thin end ns having'eyes therein for the reception of said chain .link members, and said` chain link members comprise cross ,pieces disposed between said crossbars.

8. The construction set forth in claim 4 Wherein said crossbarsV comprise relatively thickk body portionsin *which saidl sockets are disposed and "relatively thin fend having .eyes therein for tneireception of said chainlinkf'members, and

said chain link' members atl-each side are" aligned -withleachfother in' planes normal to the longi- Vtudinalfaxes of sai'd crossbarsand .project be;

yond -tlfleV frdnt'an'dsrear surfaces of said body portions H9; I'Ih'e construction: set. forth in 'claim 4 'Whereinfsai'dlforossbars comprise relatively thick body portions in Whichsai'd sockets are disposed and relatively thin end fins having eyes therein for the lreception vof said chain link members, and zat-'least ythe lfront surface of the body .portion of sai'd terminal Acros'sba'r slopes toward tl're in'- lt'ermediate crossba'r.

FRANKLIN M. BRAWAND.

REFERENGES CITED The following references are 'of record in the UNITED-'STATES' PATENTS Nu'mb'er Naine Date 159,177 Haworth A Jan. 26, 1875 612;374 Baker'et a1 A Oct. 11, 1898 Eli,48"3,2'14 Bous'chor e .Fe b. 12, 1924 1,653,092 Draper Dec. 20, 1927 .1,708,881 Hartman Apr. 9, 1929 

